Experience with black ich?

[IslandCrow]

My yellow tang came down with black ich a few days ago, and I was wondering if anyone's had any personal experience with this and can help me out. I've removed him from the main tank to the QT, given him a fresh water dip, and I'm planning on doing a formalin dip tonight (assuming FedEx doesn't misroute my shipment like they did last time). Right now, all the black spots have disappeared, but I was planning on using the formalin just to be safe.
So, here are my questions. How many times should I do the formalin dip? I know it can be rather stressful on the fish, so I don't want to overdo it. Also, on the Kordon website, it says not to dip the fish for more than 50 minutes. Is there a minimum time, or do I just keep him in there until the 50 minutes is up or he starts looking stressed? Lastly, how long should I keep him in quarantine? I've already been feeling bad about having him in a 55g even though he's not fully grown. I feel really bad confining him to a 10g quarantine.

 

[leebca]

Most of your formalin questions can be answered in this article:
http://www.marineaquariumadvice.com/formaldehyde_friend_or_foe.html

If you haven't read this article already, it will be a help:
http://www.petsforum.com/personal/trevor-jones/blackich.html

After treatment, and no further signs of the Black Ich, I would recommend holding the fish in quarantine for at least 10 more days to verify the treatment was successful. The black spots are not the parasite, as you'll note from reading the above article on Black Ich. So you have to give some time for the parasite to cause the bleeding which shows as a black spot to verify the parasite is gone.

If this is a newly acquired fish and you didn't originally put it through quarantine at the outset, I'd recommend to hold it in quarantine a total of no less than 5 weeks after the Black Ich disappears, to verify it has no other disease or affliction.

If you have questions after reading all the above, don't hesitate to ask! :rollface:

 

[IslandCrow]

Thanks for the info. I actually have read both of those articles, but it's been a long time since I've read the first, so I'd forgotten most of it. I've had the fish for almost 6 months now, so the flatworms must have been imported with something else I've added recently. One more question for you. I did my FW dip for 3 mins according to what I've read, but I've recently read a couple other articles that say FW dips less than 5 minutes are ineffective. He really didn't look stressed at the end of the 3 minutes, but I was, so I didn't want to risk overdoing it. Should I do another, longer FW dip, or will using the formalin make that kind of moot. I'm guessing the latter, since I mainly did the FW dip initially because I didn't have any formalin on hand.

 

[leebca]

You're right about being 'moot.' If you're going to go on to the formalin dip/baths, then no need to consider another FW dip.

Fishes are quite tolerant of freshwater dips. I understand your worries (same as mine in 1970 when I began experimenting with dips). Turns out, many fish can pull more than 30 minutes in a dip! What matters most is the water they are dipped in. Properly adjusted and perfectly matched in temperature and pH is a big part of success. In short, you use a FW dip for as long as the fish can handle it. With experience, you'll know when the fish can't or shouldn't continue in the FW .

During the fish's recovery, be sure to add beta glucan to its diet and in general, make sure it is being fed a good diet:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=785228

 

[IslandCrow]

OK, one last question. I just gave my tang a 40 min formalin bath, and he's back in QT, looking very healthy and eating normally (in other words, everything in sight and still begging for more). There are no signs of ich. Obviously, I don't want to put him back in the main tank quite yet, but I was wondering if I should give him any more formalin baths. A lot of what I've read has suggested a series of treatments, usually between 3 and 4, but from what I understand of formalin, it's basically toxic stuff that just happens to be much more deadly for the parasites than it is for the fish. Do you think it would be wiser to simply observe him for the next 2-3 weeks, and if there are no more signs of the ich, pronounce him cured?

 

[leebca]

You're not wrong in your concern about the toxicity of formalin. However, in my opinion, it is more important to kill the parasites. Seeing that your fish is eating and fairly well off, I'd say you performed the bath very well and I have confidence that you will perform the subsequent baths with as much attention and success.

Since you can't see the parasites until they have done damage to your fish, I think the responsible thing to do is to assume they are there. I would continue the sequence of baths to make sure that the parasites are killed, in all their various stages.

Taking another perspective. . .Let's say you don't continue the bath sequence and in a couple of weeks you see the black spots. At that time you will need to perform all the baths, in sequence. So, you haven't protected the fish from baths, you've actually added an ineffective bath AND now have to keep that fish in quarantine that much longer.